The present disclosure relates in general to digestate compositions and, in some examples, to animal bedding (e.g., horse bedding, etcetera) which comprises lignocellulosic fiber which has been processed by ruminant digestion and anaerobic digestion. The digestate compositions, including animal bedding, and associated methods of the present disclosure are environmentally beneficial because they convert waste to resources, reduce air and water pollution, and directly contribute to the procurement of sustainable biological systems.
Animal bedding products have been known in the art for years and are the subject of a plurality of publications and patents including: U.S. Pat. No. 2,708,418 entitled “Animal Bedding,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,629 entitled “Litter for Mammals and Fowl,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,434 entitled “Suppression of Ammonia Odors from Animal Wastes,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,300 entitled “Animal Litter,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,144 entitled “Method of Manufacturing Absorbent Material for Conversion to Fertilizer,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,267 entitled “Pelletized Animal Bedding and Process and Tool for Sifting Manure Therefrom,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,234 entitled “Absorbent Compacted Composition,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,380 entitled “Animal Bed from Cottonseed,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,783 entitled “Absorbent, Deodorizing, Hygienic Animal Bedding Composition and Method of Manufacture,” and U.S. Pat. No. 7,617,798 entitled “Animal Bedding Additive and Animal Bedding Containing the Same,” all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety—including all references cited therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,708,418 appears to disclose bedding material for poultry and animals adapted particularly to absorb liquids and other excrement. The bedding material is manufactured from paper pulp, and preferably small pieces of paper pulp adapted to absorb rapidly any liquid resulting from animal excrement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,629 appears to disclose pelletized mammal or fowl litter, particularly useful for domestic pets and laboratory animals. The litter provides a highly absorbent, antibacterial, antifungal and odor control bedding which is composed of defibered cellulosic materials mixed with chemicals, obtaining properties described therein. The composition which is chemically of a basic pH is compressed into pellet form to provide improved handling and antitracking qualities.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,434 appears to disclose one solution to the accumulation of gaseous ammonia in areas wherein animals are housed or maintained by providing to the areas animal litter, bedding, or other absorbent material which contain a low molecular weight, non-volatile organic acid. Acids such as citric, malic, fumaric, phosphoric, tartaric, maleic, malonic, succinic, sorbic and mixtures of these acids are used and especially phosphoric and fumaric. These acids can be used in concentrations of about 0.0001 to 2 weight % of the dry bedding.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,300 appears to disclose a litter composition including paper, sawdust, and zeolite molecular sieve. The composition is formed into pellets or discs having a size, soil-like consistency, and texture which is believed to be attractive to dogs. In addition, the litter has a high degree of absorption and odor control. The litter composition may further include sphagnum moss to provide additional absorbency.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,144 appears to disclose a method of producing an organic fertilizer from a highly absorbent animal bedding material manufactured from recycled waste paper, cotton fiber, cotton gin waste, and gypsum. The recycled waste products are combined to form a slurry mixture for processing by conventional paper making machinery into sheet material. Various chemical additives are admixed to the slurry mixture to control bacterial growth in the bedding material. The sheet material is further processed into sized particles to provide an animal bedding such as poultry litter. After the highly absorbent material is saturated with nutrient-rich animal excrement, it is subjected to chemical analysis and further processed to provide a biodegradable, organic fertilizer. The absorbent bedding material has alternative uses such as for collection of liquid chemical spills and for the remediation of such spills by biodegradation. The converted organic fertilizer can also be used as a ruminant feed after chemical analysis and the elimination of harmful microorganisms.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,267 appears to disclose an animal bedding material consisting of compacted and compressed pelletized sawdust particles or granules of relatively uniform size by a pellet fork specifically designed to enable the pellets or particles to sift through the tines of the fork while retaining all but the tiniest particles of manure atop the tines for disposal. The pellet fork is uniquely and specifically designed to provide an improved sifting function not previously possible with other bedding materials except when using a mechanized sifter, resulting in substantial material and labor cost savings, longer life and easier maintenance of bedding, reduction of cleaning time per stall, improved cleanliness of stalls and attendant improved health of the animals. The volume of waste and bedding removed from a horse stall during cleaning may reduce a manure pile as much as 70% compared to conventional use of straw.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,234 appears to disclose an absorbent compacted composition which consists essentially of clay, a finely divided cellulosic material, such as fir, and finely divided pine. The amount of finely divided cellulosic material and finely divided pine is enough to bind the composition into a compacted form without additional binders or water addition. Also, the amount of pine is sufficient to reduce the friction heat during compaction to no greater than about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,380 appears to disclose a method for improving the comfort, health, and grooming of an animal by providing a bedding material made of cottonseeds. A fragrance and/or a pesticide may be added to the cottonseeds.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,783 appears to disclose an animal bedding composition and method of manufacture which includes cut or shredded pieces of multiple panel corrugated cardboard kraft paper structures having an internal corrugated panel sandwiched between outer panels, and an adsorptive deodorizing ion exchange agent such as a zeolite dispersed throughout the cardboard pieces and carried on outer and inner surfaces of the pieces of cardboard and on outer and inner surfaces of the corrugations to provide a comfortable, hygienic and deodorized floor covering for animal stalls. An automated method of manufacturing the animal bedding composition is also described. The ion exchange agent attaches to surfaces of the corrugated cardboard which serves as a carrier to sanitize and deodorize a stall. The open structure of the cut corrugations provides mechanical load absorption, and a wicking action to aerate moisture from a stall. The ion exchange agent carried by the corrugated pieces removes ammonia odor from urine and provides slow release potassium and, when loaded with ammonium, slow release of nitrogen for agricultural fertilization. Carbon in the kraft paper from which the corrugated cardboard is constructed attracts nitrogen from urine, yielding excellent fertilizing material with rapid biodegradation.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,617,798 appears to disclose an animal bedding mixture which includes a bedding material and a bedding material additive. The bedding material is preferably straw, sawdust, sand or recycled manure solids. The bedding material additive is preferably 60-99% by weight absorbent clay powder, 0.1 to 35% by weight chlorite salt, and 0.01-35% by weight sodium bisulfate or sodium percarbonate. The bedding material additive of the present disclosure is inert when dry and neither germicidal or acidic. However, when the additive is exposed to moisture, such as animal urine, the sodium bisulfate will acidify the liquid, causing the formation of hypochlorous acid and chlorine dioxide. Hypochlorous acid and chlorine dioxide are very powerful, broad spectrum germicides that have proven efficacy against E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and other micro-organisms commonly found in animal bedding.
While animal bedding products have been known in the art for years, issues associated with bedding durability, absorbency, waste, compostability, biodegradability, animal and human health as well as facilitating sustainable biological systems remain largely problematic.
Therefore, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a digestate composition that can be usable as an animal bedding product that comprises lignocellulosic fiber which has been processed by ruminant digestion and anaerobic digestion. Such animal bedding converts waste to resources, reduces air and water pollution, and directly contributes to the procurement of sustainable biological systems.
These and other objects of the present disclosure will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, and drawings.
Therefore, a need exists to solve the deficiencies present in the prior art.